West faces hard choices on way forward in Libya***

FE Team | Published: April 20, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

BENGHAZI, (Libya), Apr 19: (agencies): Western powers committed to helping rebels overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi face increasingly difficult choices on the military, economic and diplomatic front as the conflict enters its third month. A NATO military official says it is proving very difficult to neutralize Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's firepower on the besieged rebel city of Misrata. Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, who is chairman of the alliance's military committee, told reporters in Rome on Tuesday, that even though NATO operations have done "quite significant damage" to the Libya regime's heavy weaponry, what Gadhafi has left is "still considerable." Asked if more NATO air power and bombing are needed, Di Paola would only say that any "significantly additional" allied contribution would be welcome. The UN said Tuesday it has sent food for 50,000 people to west Libya as aid groups scrambled to reach trapped civilians and rebels put the death toll from two months of fighting at 10,000. One month after NATO allies dropped their first bombs on Moamer Kadhafi's forces, there appeared no end in sight to what experts are now warning will be a prolonged military stalemate in which civilians casualties will mount. And with thousands clamouring to escape the besieged rebel city of Misrata, Britain said it will charter ships to pick up 5,000 migrant workers after a ferry rescued nearly 1,000 on Monday. The UN's World Food Programme said in Geneva it has opened up a lifeline from Tunisia. "We've managed to open up an humanitarian corridor into western Libya," Emilia Casella, the WFP spokeswoman told journalists. Analysts said NATO may have to intensify attacks on government forces to break the military stalemate in the North African country, while plans to help the rebels earn revenue from its oil riches are bogged down by U.N. sanctions.